Antistatic textile treating composition of triethanolamine-aliphatic carboxylic acidsalts



Patented Feb. 17, 1953 ANTISTATIC TEXTILE TREATING COMPOSI- TION FTRIETHANOLAMINE -ALIPHATIC CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS.

Harry Paul, Coventry, England,

assignor to Courtaulds Limited, London, England, a British company N 0Drawing. Application December 19, 1949, Se-

rial No. 133,950. In Great Britain January 18,

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of artificial staple fibres.

It is well known that certain artificial staple fibres, for examplecellulose ester-and E staple fibres, have a tendency to becomeelectrified as a result of rubbing during normal textile operations suchas carding, spinning and twisting.

It is known to reduce the tendency of such staple fibres to becomeelectrified during processing by treating them with so-called antistaticcompositions and the use of alkylolamines, their soaps or their saltsfor this purpose has already been proposed. Thus, British specificationNo. 376,785 describes a process for the treatment of cellulose acetateand the like textile materials comprising applying thereto a preparationconsisting of or containing alkylolamines and/or their salts or soaps ofaliphatic acids, but containing no fats or fatty oils; in United Statespatent specifications Nos. 2,067,174 and 2,067,175, the treatment ofstaple lengths of artificial filaments with like alkylolamine compoundsis described. Specific salts or soaps of fatty acids described in thethree patent specifications mentioned above are the alkylolaminecaprates, laurates, myristates, oleates and stearates. United Statespatent specification No; 2,081,967 describes the preparation of alubricating and antistatic finish by emulsifying a mixture of oil, waterand such substances of high electrical conductivity as triethanolaminelactate, tartrate, citrate or borate. 4

The object of the present invention is to provide improved antistaticcompositions having high conductivity.

In accordance with the'present invention, a method of treatingartificial staple fibres to re duce their tendency to become electrifiedduring dispersed an alkylolamine salt of a dibasic acid having thegeneral formula HOOC-(CHz) 11.-COOH 2 l. i;. position contains from ,4;to 2 parts of the alkylolamine-dibasic acid salt for each part. of, thefatty acid saItQparts being by weight. I The antistatic compositionsaccording to the invention may be applied to the staple fibres byspraying, preferably from an atomiser, in a centrifuge, or by immersingthe fibres in the composition and then removing excess liquid forexample by centrifuging or by passing the fibres through pressurerollers.

The proportion of the alkylolamin-dibasic acid salt, and of thealkylolamine-fatty acid salt when such is also used, in the antistaticcomposition according to the invention depends generally on the methodby which it is applied; the concene tration will normally be selected,so that the treated fibres retain, about to 1 per cent of its weight ofthe alkylolamine-dibasic acid salt, For example, when using theimmersion method of applying the composition to cellulose derivativefibres, the composition may contain from to 1 per cent by weight of thealkylolaminedibasic acid salt, and the fibres, after the im% mersion,may then be pressed or centrifuged till they retain approximately theirown weight of solution. When the composition is applied either byspraying or by centrifuging to cellulose derivative fibresconcentrations of the alkylolaminedibasic acid salt will in general behigher than 1 per cent by weight, for example from about 2 to'5 percent.

The materials which may be treated according tothe invention may be anyof the staple fibres which are known to be liable to becomeeleotrifie'dduring processing such as cellulose'acetate o r other cellulose-esterstaple fibres, cellulose" ether staple fibres, casein and other proteinstaple fibres andnylon staple fibres. The present invention isillustrated by the fol lowing examples in which parts and percentagesare by weight.

Example 1 Cellulose acetate staple fibres were immersed in a bath havingthe following composition:

Part Triethanolamine sebacate Triethanolamine caprate 1 Water The fibreswere then removed from the bath 3 a sliver with little or nodifficulties arising from static electricity.

Example 2 Cellulose acetate staple fibres were sprayed by means of anatomiser with the following composition:

, Parts Triethanolamine sebacate Triethanolamine caprate -1 2 Water 100The fibres so treated were readily carded to form a sliver without anymarked generation of static electricity.

Example 3 Cellulose acetate staple fibres were treated in a centrifugewith the following composition:

, Parts Triethanolamine suberate 2 Triethanolamine capr'a'te 5 Water 100lhe treated fibres were readily s'pun into yarns without any markedgeneration of static electric'i'ty.

What I claim is:

I. A method of reducing the tendency of artificial staple fibres tobecome electrified during processing which comprises applying to thefibres an. aqueous composition consistin essentially of (d) water, ('b)a triethanolamine salt of a dibasic acid selected from the groupconsisting -of adipic acid; pimelic acid, suberic acid, and sebacicacid, and (c) a triethanolamine salt ofatleast one fatty acid themolecule of which contains at least carbon atoms, the compositioncontaining from /2 to 2 parts by weight of the \triethanola'mine-dibasicacid salt (11) for each part by weight of the triethanolamin-e-fattyacid salt (0).

, 2 A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diba'sic acid salt istriethanolamine. sebacate.

A method of treating artificial. staple fibres for. processing whichcomprises applying to the fibres an aqueous composition consistingessentially of (a)' water, (H) a triethanolamine salt of a dibasic acidselected from the group consist- 4 ing of adipic acid, pimelic acid,suberic acid, and sebacic acid, and (c) a triethanolamine salt of atleast one fatty acid the molecule of which contains at least 10 carbonatoms, the composition containing from to 2 parts by weight of thetriethanolamine-dibasic acid salt (17) for each part by weight of thetriethanolamine-fatty aci'dxsalt- ('0) whereby the tendency of saidfibres to become electrified during the processing is reduced, andthereafter processing said fibres.

4, A treating "solution for reducin the tendenc'y of artificial staplefibres to become electrified during processin which comprises an aqueouscomposition consisting essentially of (a) water, (11). a.triethanolamine salt of a dibasic acid selected from the groupconsisting of adipic acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, and sebacic acid,and (c) a triethanolamine salt of at least one fatty acid the moleculeof which containsat least I0 carbon atoms, the composition containingfrom to .2 parts by weight of the triethanolamin'e-dibasic acid salt (b)for eachpart by weight of the. triethanolamine -fatty acid salt (0). V

5. A treating solution as claimed in claim 4 wherein the dibasic acidsalt is triethanolamine sebacate.

6. A treating solution as claimed in claim 4 wherein the dibasic acidsalt is triethanolamine suberat'e.

7'. A method of reducing the'tendency of artificial stable fibres tobecome electrified during processing, comprising applying to the fibresa composition consisting essentially 'of (a) water (1)) a'triethanolamine salt of a dibasic acid chosen from the group consistingof adipic acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, and sebacic acid, and (c) atriethanolamine salt of at least one fatty acid, the molecule of whichcontains at least 10 carbon atoms, the composition containing from to 2parts by weight of the triethanolaminedibasic acid salt ('b) for eachpart by weight of the triethanolamine-fatty acid salt (0), from about /2to about 1 /2 per cent on the weight of the fibres, of thetriethanolamine-dibasic acid salt :being retained on the fibres.

H. PAUL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,067,174 Dickie et a1. Jan. 12,1937 2,067,175 Dickie-ct a1. Jan. 12, .1937 2,067,219 Whitehead Janb 12,.1937 2,067,220 Whitehead Jan. 12, 1937 2,081,967 Whitehead June. 1,1937 2,094,608 Kritchevsky Oct. 5, 1937

4. A TREATING SOLUTION FOR REDUCING THE TENDENCY OF ARTIFICIAL STAPLEFIBERS TO BECOME ELECTRIFIED DURING PROCESSING WHICH COMPRISES ANAQUEOUS COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF (A) WATER, (B) ATRIETHANOLAMINE SALT OF A DIBASIC ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUPCONSISTING OF ADIPIC ACID, PIMELIC ACID, SUBERIC ACID, AND SEBASIC ACID,AND (C) A TRIETHANOLAMINE SALT OF AT LEAST ONE FATTY ACID THE MOLECULEAT WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST 10 CARBON ATOMS, THE COMPOSITION CONTAININGFROM 1/2 TO 2 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF THE TRIETHANOLAMINE-DIBASIC ACID SALT(B) FOR EACH PART BY WEIGHT OF THE TRIETHANOLAMINE-FATTY ACID SALT (C).